


He's Not My Boyfriend (Except He Kinda Is)

by annaxmims



Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Divorce, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Past Drug Use, Past Relationship(s), Unhealthy Relationships, tw: overdose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:55:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22608112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annaxmims/pseuds/annaxmims
Summary: Another prompt from Tumblr:Hey! I saw you're lowkey asking for ideas/promt. So here is one: T.K. comes out to his dad and maybe we could see Owens reactions to TK boyfriends and how he supports tarlos the most, because yes, Carlos might be the right one for his son.Feel free to send me prompts/ideas at 911xtarlos on Tumblr
Relationships: Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star)/TK Strand, Owen Strand & TK Strand, TK Strand/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1626286
Comments: 14
Kudos: 589





	He's Not My Boyfriend (Except He Kinda Is)

“T.K? T.K where are you buddy?”

Owen pushed open the door to his son’s room, searching for him. 

“T.K. Come out, come out wherever you are.”

“He’s not here,” T.K’s broken voice came from the closet.

“He’s not huh? Can you tell me where he went?” Owen knelt down in front of the door.

“He ran away,” T.K sniffled.

“He ran away? Well do you know when he’s coming back? His dad is really starting to miss him?”

“He’s not comin’ back.”

“Oh no,” Owen sighed and slid down the wall. “What am I going to do without my T.K?”

Owen sat against the wall for a minute listening to T.K’s soft breaths before the boy spoke up again.

“Dad?”

“I’m here buddy.”

The closet door creaked open and Owen peeked inside to see T.K curled up in a pile of blankets, tear tracks on his face. T.K opened his arms up to him and Owen crawled inside the closet and hauled him into a hug.

“Mom told me you got in a fight while you were with her this weekend,” Owen said, rocking him gently. “Wanna tell me what it was about?”

“I told her I liked a boy.”

Owen took in a deep breath and steeled himself for what was about to come. Their divorce had been hard on T.K and a fight with his mom, especially over something this big, was doing nothing to mend their relationship.

“What did she say about it?”

“She said that I was confused and that I don’t like boys and I’ll grow out of it. Then she got mad when I told her I wanted to come home.”

Owen squeezed his son tightly, “T.K, it doesn’t matter if you like boys or girls okay? I love you no matter what. Your mom is going to come around. She just needs some time.”

“You’re not mad?”

“No, I’m not mad T.K. I don’t care who you like or don’t like. But whatever boy you end up with better treat you right.”

T.K laughed tearily and buried his face against his dad’s neck.

“I love you,” he mumbled.

“I love you too buddy.”

*****

Growing up in New York had its perks. There was no shortage of out gay people for T.K to look up to, and plenty of boys his age that were interested in him. But his mother’s dismissal of his sexuality made him feel isolated in his own house.

“I hate it there. I never want to go to mom’s house again,” T.K shouted, throwing his bag down and slamming the door.

“What happened T.K?” Owen appeared in the door to the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel. He was still in his work clothes, but T.K fell into his arms anyway.

“Mom won’t let me see Hunter. Or any of my friends when I’m at her house. And she told me today that I can’t be a firefighter.”

“She what?”

“She told me that I can’t be a firefighter. I think she was mad at me because I asked her to see Hunter but it sucks anyway.”

“Look at me,” Owen cupped his son’s face and forced him to look up. “You can do whatever the hell you want. But you never told me you wanted to be a firefighter.”

“I’ve always wanted to be like you. You're my hero dad.”

“You’re my hero T.K. And if you want to be a firefighter go for it, just try not to show me up yeah?”

“I’ll try not to.”

“I’ll talk to your mom okay? We’ll work something out. But if this keeps going on we can go back to court. You’re old enough to choose who you want to live with.”

“Thanks dad.”

*****

Four months later, Owen won sole custody of his son and T.K went out on his first date with Hunter.

“Dad what are you supposed to do on a date?”

“Well I imagine it’s different with guys than girls, but be yourself. Don’t do anything different than what you normally do when you hang out. It’s just bowling, you go bowling all the time.”

“But there’s always other people there. This is just us two. What if he wants to kiss me?”

“Do you want to kiss him?”

“Maybe,” T.K picked at a thread on his jeans.

“Then kiss him. Just don’t do anything you don’t want to do. Okay?”

“Okay dad.”

They both jumped at the knock on the door.

“Crap that’s him.”   


“Hey relax. It’ll be okay.”

Owen walked T.K to the door and watched as he walked hand in hand down the street.

“Hey have fun. Eleven o’clock T.K.”

“I know dad. See you later.”

“Love you bud.”

“Love you too.”

*****

“How’d it go?” Owen asked when T.K flopped down on his bed that night.

“He’s really sweet. And he kissed me.”

“That’s my boy.”

“I really like him dad.”

“That’s good.”

*****

T.K and Hunter didn’t work out. They were young and it was sweet, but it wasn’t meant to last. T.K was sad for a few days, but ultimately it was for the best.

Hunter was T.K’s first and only boyfriend before he went to college. Before he joined the fire academy and graduated top of his class. Before he broke his leg and got addicted to painkillers. Before he almost died.

“Dad?” T.K’s voice was rough from the tube that had been down his throat. “What happened?”

“You overdosed T.K.”

“Dad, I’m so sorry.”

“I know buddy. It’s not completely your fault. Doctors give out opioids like candy these days. It was from when you broke your leg right?”

“Yeah. I tried to stop Dad, I did. But by the time my leg was healed-”

“You were addicted. It’s not completely your fault, but I’m holding you accountable. You’re suspended from work. You’re gonna go to rehab and you’re gonna get clean. I’m gonna help you, I’m gonna be there for you.”

“I love you dad,” T.K’s eyes welled up with tears. “I’m sorry I let you down.”

“You didn’t let me down T.K. I let you down. You know what the best day of my life was? It wasn’t the day you were born, even though that’s up there. It’s the day you told me that you wanted to be a firefighter. That you wanted to be like me because I’m your hero. I feel like I let you down. I wasn’t your hero. You were hurting and I didn’t notice.”

“It’s not your fault either dad. I want to get better. I do.”

“I know buddy. We’re gonna get you better.”

And they did. T.K went to rehab and got clean. Owen took time off of work to spend time with his son and make sure he was taken care of. He was there for the crying and shaking and throwing up from withdrawls. He was there when he got his one year chip. And he was there when he met Alex.

*****

“I’m gonna ask Alex to marry me tonight,” T.K said as they rode the elevator up.

Owen nodded in response. It wasn’t that he disliked Alex. Alex was a nice enough guy. But he didn’t think he was good enough for T.K. He saw the way his son was fighting for Alex’s attention constantly. He didn’t want T.K to spend the rest of his life fighting to be seen.

“Dad please don’t say anything negative alright? I already bought the ring.”

“How ‘bout moving in together first?”

“Grand gestures right? Isn’t that what you always say? Big swings?”

“I’ve also been divorced twice.”

They made quick work of getting the construction worker off the wire safely and T.K brought the subject up again once they were on the ground.

“So are you gonna tell me what you really think of this proposal? Or are you just gonna keep pretending that you don’t have an opinion?”

“You’re an adult, you think it’s right I say go for it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks dad.”

Owen didn’t dislike Alex, but the minute he found his son laying on the living room floor, unconscious from an overdose, he really started to hate him.

*****

“So how was your date?”

“Jesus dad you scared me? Did you seriously wait for me? I’m not sixteen.”

“So you’re not gonna deny that it was a date?”

T.K rolled his eyes as he went to the kitchen to grab a water.

“It wasn’t a date. We’re just hanging out. I’m not ready for another relationship and Carlos knows that. It’s just casual.”

“But you’re not hanging out with anyone else?”   
“I don’t want to hang out with anyone else?”

“So you like Carlos?”

“I think I could. Maybe one day.”

“Well for what it’s worth, I like Carlos. I think he’s good for you.”

“Yeah. I think so too.”

“Don’t wait too long okay? Don’t rush into anything you aren’t ready for, but don’t push him away because you’re scared.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

A week later Carlos stopped by the station to drop off something T.K had left at his apartment. He left him with a soft kiss and a “see you tonight.”

Owen couldn’t contain his smile at the soft look on his son’s face.

“So he’s not your boyfriend huh?”

“Shut up dad.”


End file.
